George Taylor, Marketing Manager at Corecom Consulting and founder of Creative Industry United, talks you through the basics of using events to generate social media buzz and scale the event experience into the digital world.

1. George Taylor: A Bit About Me
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• In 2013, I started the popular London event brand, ‘Strictly Go
Networking.’
• The events sold on average between 150-200 tickets per month and
specialised in networking and seminars for people that work in the
Music, Fashion, Film, TV and Art industries.
• Invited numerous VIPs to speak including Noelle Reno, Adam Perry,
Dave McPherson, Michael Petry, Tony Michaelides & Yvonne Grace.
• I am now the Marketing Manager for an IT Recruitment agency called
Corecom Consulting.

2. 1. Engaging With Speakers
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• As a business, your product or service solves a problem for your
customer or client base. Book speakers that are ‘heros’ in solving that
problem.
• This gives you social status, increases ticket sales and helps to build
your brand by piggy backing on their success.
• Interview them for your blog and compliment them, as it’ll encourage
them to share/Retweet it. Have a hyperlink to the event page to drive
more attendees.
• Interviews will get your audience reading, and create value which
encourages Retweets. This grows your reach and enhances your
product and event sales.

3. 2. Collecting Data From Eventbrite
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• You can collect extra data on Eventbrite which you can use to grow
your channels and engage with attendees in different ways.
• Create an extra field on Eventbrite giving people the option to type
their Twitter handle upon ticket purchase.
• Always use Gmail and create a Google+ account. Set up forwarding
from your hosting package. And Send manual confirmation emails
from Gmail.
• Visit your ‘sent’ box, hover over their name and add them to your
Google+ cycles. This will allow you to grow your Google+ channel.
• Powerful when you are posting content through it as your SEO will
increase and you’ll also get YouTube referrals.

4. 2. Collecting Data From Eventbrite
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• In your confirmation emails, always use an email signature and add
your social media handles to encourage ‘follows’ and ‘likes.’ This’ll
convert customers and suppliers to social media followers.
• Link your Gmail account with LinkedIn and use the ‘Add Connections’
tool to connect with all of your Gmail contacts (customers &
suppliers).

5. ‘Failure to engage with
your audience is not
social media, it’s
anti-social media.’
George Taylor
@JuleGT
@CIULondon

6. 3. Engagement & Relationship Building
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• Once you have gained followers, engage with them straight away to
stop people losing the emotional connection and unfollowing you.
• When people follow you, Tweet them straight away. This encourages
Retweets and future sales. It also helps to sell event tickets.
• Treat Twitter like a CRM with the goal of enhancing current
relationships and converting new followers into customers.
• If you recognise them as an event attendee, Tweet them saying ‘can’t
wait to see you.’ This increases the chances of them turning up and
inspires Retweets. They may even come to your next event!
• If you are selling another product and using events for marketing
purposes, you’ll increase sales by following these simple steps.

7. 3. Engagement & Relationship Building
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• Treat LinkedIn like a CRM.
• If people accept your add on LinkedIn, send them a private welcome
message. Again, this increases attendee rates and sales for your
product or next event.
• Create content. As a business, your product or service solves a
problem for your customer or client base. Post content which delivers
a solution.
• This encourages more engagement and Retweets from your social
base as well as increasing traffic and converting people to customers
(data capture is good for this).

8. 4. During The Event
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• Always book professional photographers for your event and a
videographer.
• Videos give you an excuse to start a YouTube channel which is
another way to engage attendees and capture customers. Add links to
your Twitter page and website for more conversion.
• To capitalise on video, film the talks. Film exclusive interviews with
your speakers and testimonials with your attendees.
• Use the talks and interviews in your content strategy which will
encourage more Retweets and engagement. Add testimonials on your
website to enhance social status.

9. 4. During The Event
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• Use name badges at your event and engage with your attendees
directly. This will help you to remember their names.
• This is powerful when you Tweet photos out after the event, thanking
people for attending on social media.
• Use banners and Twitter handles on all collateral and your slideshow
to drive more followers and engagement during the event.
• CREATE A HASHTAG.
• This will create a social media buzz, and help spread the word.
Retweet or like people’s posts by searching for the hashtag, making
them feel welcome by creating even further engagement.

10. 5. After The Event
@JuleGT
@CIULondon
• Tweet good quality photos out of individual attendees. They’ll
Retweet (use @Handle data from Eventbrite ticket sales). This will
make them want to come again and help you to bond with them.
• Tweet good quality photos out of the public speaker with a mention.
They’ll Retweet which will enhance your followers and social status.
• Send a mailer out encouraging more follows and likes and encourage
people to tag themselves in the photos on Facebook. You’ll get more
likes on your page because it’ll display in friends’ feeds…
• Post speaker and individual photos out on LinkedIn with name
mentions too (nobody does this). They’ll ‘like’ and ‘share,’ creating a
LinkedIn buzz.

11. 6. To Conclude @JuleGT
@CIULondon